biostudies-literatureReif LKNCATS NIH HHSFlora Family FoundationFIC NIH HHSNIAID NIH HHSFogarty International CenterCamela Basin Family FoundationDivision of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesMAC AIDS Foundation409-420https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8976702biostudies-literatureUnknown34(4)HIV viral load (VL) monitoring can reinforce antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Standard VL testing requires high laboratory capacity and coordination between clinic and laboratory which can delay results. A randomized trial comparing point-of-care (POC) VL testing to standard VL testing among 150 adolescents and young adults, ages 10-24 years, living with HIV in Haiti determined if POC VL testing could return faster results and improve ART adherence and viral suppression. Participants received a POC VL test with same-day result (POC arm) or a standard VL test with result given 1 month later (SOC arm). POC arm participants were more likely to receive a test result within 6 weeks than SOC arm participants (94.7% vs. 80.1%; p1000 copies/ml and low self-reported ART adherence was stronger in the POC arm (OR: 6.57; 95%CI: 2.12-25.21) than the SOC arm (OR: 2.62; 95%CI: 0.97-7.44) suggesting more accurate self-report in the POC arm. POC VL testing was effectively implemented in this low-resource setting with faster results and is a pragmatic intervention that may enable clinicians to identify those with high VL to provide enhanced counseling or regimen changes sooner.<b>Trial registration:</b> ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03288246.AIDS carePoint-of-care viral load testing among adolescents and young adults living with HIV in Haiti: a randomized control trial.PMC8976702D43 TW10062UL1 TR002384D43 TW011295U01 AI069421UM1 AI069421K24 AI098627Reif LKKuhn LBelizaire MEArpadi SMSeo GRouzier VElul BMcNairy MLSevere PPape JWFitzgerald DWJoseph BApollon SAbrams EJBajo Joseph JMfalsePoint-of-care viral load testing among adolescents and young adults living with HIV in Haiti: a randomized control trial.HIV viral load (VL) monitoring can reinforce antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Standard VL testing requires high laboratory capacity and coordination between clinic and laboratory which can delay results. A randomized trial comparing point-of-care (POC) VL testing to standard VL testing among 150 adolescents and young adults, ages 10-24 years, living with HIV in Haiti determined if POC VL testing could return faster results and improve ART adherence and viral suppression. Participants received a POC VL test with same-day result (POC arm) or a standard VL test with result given 1 month later (SOC arm). POC arm participants were more likely to receive a test result within 6 weeks than SOC arm participants (94.7% vs. 80.1%; p1000 copies/ml and low self-reported ART adherence was stronger in the POC arm (OR: 6.57; 95%CI: 2.12-25.21) than the SOC arm (OR: 2.62; 95%CI: 0.97-7.44) suggesting more accurate self-report in the POC arm. POC VL testing was effectively implemented in this low-resource setting with faster results and is a pragmatic intervention that may enable clinicians to identify those with high VL to provide enhanced counseling or regimen changes sooner.<b>Trial registration:</b> ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03288246.2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Apr2026-05-09T13:44:57.706Z2025-04-07T03:20:28.714ZS-EPMC89767023461209210.1080/09540121.2021.1981816